Hayden Paddon is back in action this weekend, competing in Barum Czech Rally Zlín, the fifth round of the European Rally Championship.
The Kiwi star is once again driving BRC Racing team’s Hyundai i20 N Rally2 alongside co-driver John Kennard and has made keeping title rival Mathieu Franceschi at bay his sole focus for the event.
Paddon holds a seven-point advantage in the standings as he seeks to defend his 2023 title, although Franceschi has already used his drop round by not competing in Round 3, the Royal Rally of Scandinavia.
This weekend’s rally, which is based in the South Moravian university city, 300 kilometres south of the Czech capital Prague, features a strong lineup, including 2013 ERC champion Jan Kopecký. The hometown hero has won the Barum rallye 11 times, including the past eight editions.
ERC regulars Erik Cais and Filip Mareš, Czech championship leader Domink Stříteský, fellow youngster Adam Březík, plus former circuit racer Aleš Jirásek, are also among the local contenders to have signed up for action along with Václav Pech, the Zlín winner in 2014 and an eight-time Czech champion.
Adding ERC contenders Jon Armstrong, Franceschi, Efrén Llarena, Andrea Mabellini, Miko Marczyk, Hermann Neubauer, and Simon Wagner to the mix then shapes Barum Czech Rally Zlín to be one of the most competitive events of the season.
“We know many locals will be fast, but, at this point of the championship, our sole focus is on Franceschi as our main title rival,” Paddon said. “We can’t control what he does so will be doing the best job we can and making sure we can get the right feeling with the car.”
“We didn’t have the end here last year that we wanted but the experience gained will help us a lot for this year to be better prepared for what is a very unique event.
He continued: “It is hugely dependant on weather as to what we will face on the rally. Yes, it’s a Tarmac rally, but it’s often bumpy, dirty Tarmac, so in places, it’s more like tackling a gravel stage than Tarmac. To be fast on such a rally, you need to be confident.”
Paddon is chasing his second podium of the season on Barum Czech Rally Zlín, the only event on which he came unstuck during his title-winning campaign in 2023 by crashing out on the final day.
This weekend’s rally begins with the 9.57 km Super Special Stage, consisting of three laps through Zlin, at 7.15 am NZST on Saturday.
Eight stages, featuring two passes on each of Březová (12.73 km), Kateřinice (7.49 km), Rajnochovice (13.19 km), and Bunč (18.04), make for a busy day from 6.58 pm NZST on Saturday.
Six further stages, including two passes on Semetín (11.51 km), Pindula (16.57 km), and Halenkovice (16.58 km), await from 6.23 pm NZST on Sunday. The second run on Halenkovice is the event’s power stage.
Overall, the 201.79 kilometres of timed running make Barum Czech Rally Zlín the longest event of this season so far.
It’s a Tarmac test notorious for the road surface’s bumpy and sometimes broken nature. Adding to the challenge, several stages feature high-speed blasts through forests, and intermittent showers are always possible.
While the weather might be hard to predict, huge numbers of fans are guaranteed, with thousands following the action each year.
Viewing information can be found in this weekend’s Motorsport Diary.
Header Image: European Rally Championship
